18th December 2008, 02:50 PM
If Kathryn and co are reading this discussion, I would use this opportunity to urge the IfA not to allow the benchmarking to slip, despite the obvious pressures to do so.
An analogy may be drawn between archaeology and architecture. Both are likely to suffer in the current downturn. Architects are talking about this as an opportunity to reform the profession- to work out what matters and as an opportunity to reflect.
I think the IfA should take the lead in a similar way for archaeology. Many people are going to lose their jobs, if they haven't already, but the long-term outlook for archaeology is strong- major infrastructure developments, energy, demand for housing outstripping supply, a public appetite for the subject etc.
Therefore, this is the time to set the ground-rules for the future. I think we can go back to a state where we have a large number of itinerant workers and one-man-bands expanding and contracting to suit the wills of developers happy to pay the minimum. Instead, lobbying to raise standards and expectations should, in time, lead to higher standards and expectations.
When work picks up, those that have been out of work could then benefit from the increasing pay and conditions.
An analogy may be drawn between archaeology and architecture. Both are likely to suffer in the current downturn. Architects are talking about this as an opportunity to reform the profession- to work out what matters and as an opportunity to reflect.
I think the IfA should take the lead in a similar way for archaeology. Many people are going to lose their jobs, if they haven't already, but the long-term outlook for archaeology is strong- major infrastructure developments, energy, demand for housing outstripping supply, a public appetite for the subject etc.
Therefore, this is the time to set the ground-rules for the future. I think we can go back to a state where we have a large number of itinerant workers and one-man-bands expanding and contracting to suit the wills of developers happy to pay the minimum. Instead, lobbying to raise standards and expectations should, in time, lead to higher standards and expectations.
When work picks up, those that have been out of work could then benefit from the increasing pay and conditions.